Action Replay + Gratitude List: November 2018

"Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans" - Whoever said this knew what they were talking about. This is what November was for me. While October was a really busy month, I thought November would be a little relaxed, but was I in for a surprise! November was twice as busy as October with me working continuously day after day without a break. There was nothing else in my life apart from work this November. Stress was at its peak and I barely had any time for myself or my hobbies. As busy as it was, November taught me a lot of lessons and kept me strong.

While I was rewarded for the work I was doing, on the personal front I was experiencing failure. That is what I thought. With most of my hours being spent at work or working, I barely had time to cook, clean or do anything else at home. I'm not the one who likes dependencies so the thought of hiring a cook/maid did not make sense to me, but the fact that I was not doing all this made me feel very bad about myself. I'm someone who used to take immense pride in having a good work-life balance, but suddenly it all seemed topsy-turvy. This obviously did not go down well on my mental health and soon I was feeling guilty about not being able to do a few things. One fine day, when I had reached the breaking point, I let it all come out. My husband, the awesome man that he is, sat me down and explained to me that I need not have to do everything. If somethings get missed, it is alright. After all, I was not doing it on purpose right?

It took me a while to understand and accept this. Never easy for someone as active as me, but with time I got used to it. Since work took up most of my time, there was no time for me to cook at home. Most of the days we ate out or as and when my husband had time, he cooked. Fitness went for a toss because of this and days passed on without having any time to do anything for myself. Reading and writing took a hit too. Thankfully, I did manage to read four books, before work went on full force. I read one of the best books for this year, 'Silver Lining's Playbook' and I think everyone should read this book too. I had just started reading a much anticipated book, 'The Nightingale', but had to pause it due to work. Writing started of well with 3 posts in 2 weeks, but it had to pause abruptly too. I wanted to write about so many things, but time did not permit. Hopefully I get to translate the thoughts into posts this December.

Busy November did come with its share of gratitude. Here's what I'm thankful for:

~ Job: I was recognized for all the handwork that I put in October. This gave me the additional push to work more hard in November. As stressful as this can be, I cannot imagine myself without my job.

~ Friends: I missed being a part of Secret Santa in one of the blogger groups that I'm a part of. But when the head Admin of the group realized this, she opened up the Secret Santa form again for a bunch of us. Also dearest Shalini sent me a book when she thought that I had missed this. She did not want me to feel bad about missing it. Once I became a part of it, my Secret Santa sent me a couple of gifts and I'm so happy with them! Also, since I have been missing from my blog, many of my blogger friends messaged me to ask if I was okay. That was really sweet of them and did help me smile during a rough day.

~ Books: I couldn't read much, but I received many of them in the form of gifts. My bookshelf now has more unread books than read ones, but I'm not complaining one bit.

~ Health: Since I couldn't cook much at home, we ended up eating a lot from outside and at random times. With absolutely no time to exercise, I'm surprised to have lost a couple of kilos. Yeah, I know this is all due to stress, but I'm proud of the way my body held up to all the chaos. Falling sick was not an option and my body and mind did not let that happen. Looks like all the effort that I had put in for the past couple of months were finally bearing fruit.

~ Patience: November taught me patience like nothing else before. I had to deal with so many people, deadlines, arguments and what not! Plus, I was fighting a battle with myself and it was not easy to win that without patience. I'm not the most patient person in this world, but I am a step closer now.

~ Love: It wasn't easy for me to survive two back to back busy months, but having a partner who stood by me through thick and thin helped me sail past it. It is really not easy having a workaholic wife, but my husband makes it so easy for me to focus on work without worrying about anything back home. In this regard, I truly am blessed.

December will continue to be busy, but I have decided to consciously take some time out for myself to peace out and do the things that I love. Two months of not having some time for myself has not gone down well on me. If this continues, I'll end up losing my mind, and we wouldn't want that to happen. Hopefully, December will be more kind to me in terms of work-stress and time management.

I really hope that December is kinder to you. So much stress and work pressure is not good. I am so glad that we met the other day. Maybe once things ease up, we'll plan another meet. 😊

As an aside, do consider a temporary help because doing everything is a bit much. If you don't want to hire a cook at least hire someone to do the prep. That's a lifesaver and will take you barely anytime to cook then. Take care.

Glad to read your posts, after a loooong time Soumya :)).. I am amazed u managed to read 4 books despite a busy month. Love your passion for reading:).. Work life balance sure can go topsy turvy, when office demands more. Glad you have a supportive partner, who understood the pressure and calmed you down. We always cant have things perfect. So we just need to let go of certain things and prioritise, right ? :))

Hello Sou. Glad to read your post today. Finally, when a notification from FB pops up saying you shared a link,I wonder, wow, she somehow made some time to write. I see how hectic the last two months at work is for you. I am delighted to know you are rewarded for it. I am super happy to know you are finally letting things be and calming your nerves about the work life balance. Phew, you are doing great darling. Hats off to your regular fitness routine earlier, I love the days when I workout too and love it even more when it helps me stay up with some busy and unexpected schedules later on. Love you lots. I am sure you will travel soon and rejuvenate. ❤️ Happy December Sou.

You do not have to be superwoman. Repeat that to yourself! You remind me so much of who I used to be - perfectionist {still recovering!}, high standards, self-critical about certain things. I'm glad that you are trying to go easy on yourself. Sometimes, things happen that are out of our control and it's ok to not be able to do it all. Honestly, if I could afford to have a cleaner come in twice a month, I'd gladly do that!! I hate cleaning so much. By the way, I feel like you should read Brene Brown when you get the chance or at least start by watching her TED talk. I did in 2013 and it changed so many things for me.

God bless your hubby! No kidding! :)And, you take care, Soumya! It's absolutely okay if the house gets neglected because of work....happens with all of us. Give importance to what really deserves your attention at that particular point...whatever you ignore, you can make up to it later. Okay? :)Good for you that your hard work was appreciated...Keep it going!My November was fine. I am glad this year is finally coming to an end. It was a difficult year for us, but it taught us a lot. And, although we are often advised to forget the past and concentrate on the present, this year is always going to be there in one corner of my mind. Failures, setbacks, tough times teach us so much!Love!

I can understand how a lot of work with no time for yourself can make you feel. I have experienced this a few times and I've almost broken down. I know you are a strong woman. I am glad that you pulled through and that you had a few things that made you happy. I'm missing all the Secret Santa fun this time! Hope you are enjoying it.Hope you have an awesome December with more time for yourself.

Kudos to you for staying strong in the wake of 2 month-long stress period. It is a blessing to have a partner who can put things in the right perspective for us when we aren't able to. It is amazing that you could read 4 books during the busy times. I wish you a less stressful December where you are able to blog to your heart's content :)

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